Hatching

May 1, 2025

The photo you see above, taken this week by my daughter Ella, shows a swan sitting quietly in her nest, keeping her eggs warm. It brought to mind one of my favorite lines from The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White:

"I don’t know of anything in the entire world more wonderful to look at than a nest with eggs in it."

Spring is the season when the world is full of secret work. On the surface, everything seems calm. But underneath, hidden from view, miracles are stirring. Cygnets in swan eggs. Seeds in soil. Tiny green fruit emerging from blossoms.

Right now, all over our communities, people are quietly hatching plans, too. While we’re shaking off the last chill of winter, real folks are working behind the scenes to bring summer to life. They’re dreaming up festivals, camps, concerts, parades, nature walks, food truck rodeos—all the adventures that will fill the long days ahead with color and music and laughter. It’s invisible work, mostly. You don’t see the meetings or the sketches on scrap paper or the lists and reminders taped to refrigerators. But it’s happening, everywhere.

You can be part of this wonderful energy: Now is the perfect time to imagine the summer you want to build for your family. Take a peek at our Top 20 Places to Take Kids in Greater Rochester list (voting for 2025 starts soon!), our 101 Family Day Trips from Rochester list, our Everything Free page. Make a list. Dream a little. Plot and plan.

All around us, in nests and on drawing boards, wonderful things are getting ready to break into the world. The cygnets will be here soon.

—Deb